Do not let the title fool you.  I'm not having a good time.

We recently had a water holding tank installed here in the woods because of bad water in a well that was running dry.  For the first time in years I was going to be able to drink the water that comes out of my tap.  But with all things, few things go according to plan. The tank was finished mid December and I think we've had running water for approx. 8 days since.  I don't really want to talk about it.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to me.

If this ever happens to you you will need the following:
Your therapist on speed dial.
A decent sized bucket for putting water in the back of the toilet.
An outhouse if possible
A large pot for boiling water for dishes/ sponge baths. (The kettle doesn't cut it)
A crap ton of water jugs to fill at a good friends place or outdoor water tap. Preferably the type with a spigot. You can put them on counters for brushing teeth/cooking/etc.
A wagon for moving these half ton jugs once they are full.
Patience and a sense of humour.

Some other helpful items are:
A large bucket you can stand in while sponge bathing.  All that water that you used to clean yourself can now get scooped into the back of the toilet to flush it when it really needs it.

Small tub on your counter with water in it to soak dishes before you get around to doing them.  It makes the actual act of washing them easier and prevents the waste of people trying to rinse them off one at a time.

Small cups in the bathroom for brushing teeth.  You put a bit of water in the cup and keep dipping your toothbrush to get it wet/rinse it off.

A large bottle of merlot.  Just because.

This whole experience has me thinking about places that don't have clean water, places that are in drought and have to conserve every drop they have.  We really do waste a lot of water. It's also amazing how little water you need if you're disciplined about how you use it and re-use it.

Unless you live under a rock I'm sure you've heard of the fight at Standing Rock. The protest to stop an oil pipeline that would threaten the clean water source for a huge population including the
Standing Rock Sioux near Lake Oahe.  The pipeline is slated to run a mere 800m away from their Territory.
Now everyone knows how important water is, but I don't think people realize the logistics of not having clean drinking water. An experience like this reminds me how important it is to keep our water protected and safe.  We can't live without it.